Fossil fuels — including coal, oil, and natural gas — supply nearly 85 percent of the world’s energy. This method of energy production and consumption has yielded significant environmental crises, such as climate change, air pollution, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, the contamination of ecosystems and more. To meet the current and future demands for energy, it is necessary to develop clean, renewable energy sources that reduce the impact of climate change while maintaining economic growth and enabling living standards to rise.
What engineering innovations and solutions are necessary to develop and implement widespread, mainstream pollution-free energy sources by the year 2050? Detail the history and progression of this technology, provide a brief technical analysis (how does it work?), and discuss the environmental, economic and social impacts and implications of pollution-free energy on a global scale.
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